Quicker Retail

This week, Intuit launched two new QuickBooks products to help small retailers consolidate their sales, inventory needs and customer service. While Cash Register Plus tracks sales and customer data and allows retailers to ring up sales, the updated version of Point of Sale, a similar retail program, now includes a web store service.

Cash Register Plus works like a PC-based cash register. It also tracks sales data and customer information automatically, and runs instant business reports. QuickBooks accounting software users can transfer financial data between the two programs. The interface is designed to work on both a regular and a touch-screen monitor.

QuickBooks Point of Sale, designed for retailers who require more detailed services, can now be used along with a Storefront service that facilitates online business transactions. Retailers can select which items to sell directly online, and track online and store inventories in one location.

Cash Register Plus is priced at $300, while Point of Sale starts at $800. Go here to find out more about Point of Sale, or here for information on Cash Register Plus.

SCORE for Vets

SCORE, the Washington-based entrepreneurship resource group, has spruced up its online section for entrepreneurs in the military. New and updated features include podcasts, articles, information on lending programs, statistics on veteran entrepreneurs, and an option to receive business advice via email.

The site also features a new SCORE in Action podcast with retired Army Colonel Laurie McCulloch, while a series of new articles address the entrepreneurial mindset, small-business grants, and leadership tips. The e-mail advice feature allows veterans to search for business mentors with military experience.

Marketing Outcomes, a Charlotte, N.C.-based consulting firm, will be hosting two new workshops aimed at helping sales professionals generate growth in a down economy. Available to companies nationwide, the so-called "Defying Gravity" workshops can either be tagged onto a national sales meeting or held as an intensive two-day session.

Companies can also customize the program's content based on their business needs. Options include overcoming objections and resistance, crafting value-based solutions, and managing an integrated team-selling model. Fees range from $5,000 for a single day workshop, to $15,500 for a two-day program.